The Jasper Tramway (780/852-3093, summer daily 9 a.m.–8 p.m., shorter hours Apr.–June and Sept.–mid-Oct., closed the rest of the year, adult $28, child 5–14 $14) climbs more than 1,000 vertical meters (3,280 feet) up the steep north face of The Whistlers, named for the hoary marmots that live on the summit.

The tramway operates two 30-passenger cars that take seven minutes to reach the upper terminal, during which time the conductor gives a lecture about the mountain and its environment. From the upper terminal, a 1.4-kilometer (0.9-mile) trail leads to the 2,470-meter (8,104-foot) true summit. On a clear day you can see Mount Robson (3,954 m/12,970 ft)—the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies—to the northwest. Free two-hour guided hikes leave the upper terminal for the true summit daily at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m.

You should allow two hours on top and, on a clear summer’s day, two more hours in line at the bottom. The tramway is three kilometers (1.9 miles) south of town on Highway 93 (Icefields Parkway) and then a similar distance up Whistlers Road.